Coin-detector.



2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Patented Mar. I3, |900.

No. 645,185` Patented Mar. I3, |900. T. I. PORTER.

CIN DETECTOR.

(Application filed Aug. 17, 1899.) v (No Model.; v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' @Mw/a,

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

yTHOMAS I. PORTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAND, MCNALLY & COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COIN-DETECTOR.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent ilo. 645,185, `dated March 13, 1900.

Application tiled August 17, 1899. Serial No. 727,500. (No model.)

To all whom it' may concern: Y

Be it known that I, THOMAS I. PORTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi-4 cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Detectors, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and efficient device for quickly testing coin as to size, Weight, and ring With a view to detecting counterfeits. In carrying out this object, for testing the size of the coin a slot is used, and this slot is disposed immediately above a balance and in such relation thereto that as the coin leaves the slot by which its size is tested it passes immediately to the balance, by which it is tested as to its weight. The balance has a depressible coin-rest, and the depression of this rest is resisted by a force a trifle less than the correct Weight of the coin to be tested, so that when a coin of the proper Weight is delivered to the coin-rest the latter Will be depressed, albeit it will not respond to a coin of insufficient Weight. As the rest is depressed by the Weight of the coin it discharges the coin by tipping it over sidewise onto a sounding board or table, by which its ring is tested, the rest being provided with an extension by which the coin is iiipped or turned in order to insure its striking on one of its iiat faces. With this arrangement in order to make the three tests it is simply necessary to insert the coin in the appropriate slot of the machine, and if it is genuine it Will pass in rapid succession from one test to the next until the three are completed. The machine is providedWit-h a slot and balance for each denomination of coin that is to be tested.

lith silver coin it is seldom desired to ascertain the exact Weight in case the test shows it to be light, Whether it is or is not light being in most cases all that it is desired to know; but in the case of gold coin it is sometimes desirable when a light coin is found to ascertain exactly what its Weight is. To this end the balance in the preferred form of the invention is provided with a graduated arm, which has a Weight mounted adj ustably thereon, so that the exact Weight of the coin or its deficiency may be determined.

The invention consists in the features of novelty that are hereinafter fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and in Which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a coin-detectorembodying some features of the invention, the specific embodiment here shown being a detector designed more especially for silver coin. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a front view thereof With all of the coin-rests of the balances depressed. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one of the balances. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a coin-detector embodying the invention in what is hereby elected as the pre,- ferred form of the invention for the purposes of this application.

A represents a base,f rom which rises a standard B, surmounted by a box C, the top of which is omitted from Fig. l in order to show the balances. Secured to the front of the box and crossing it from side to side is a plate D, having a horizontal flange D stepped or offset vertically, each step or offset being provided With a slot of the size appropriate for measuring a coin of a given denomination, said slots being designated d', d2, and cl3, respectively. Crossing the box in the rear of the plate D isa fulcrum-bar E, having knifeedge bearings E', E2, and E3, upon which the beams f f2 f3 of three balances F F2 F3 are mounted to oscillate. Each of these balances comprises a beam, (f, f2, orf, as the case may be,) a Weight j', carried by the beam on one side of the fulcrum, and a coin-rest F,car ried by the beam on the other side of the fulcrum. The coin-rest is so constructed `that when in its initial position it supports the coin on edge and in a plane which is parallel With the axis of oscillation of the balance,and when depressed it dumps the coin 0E side- Wise as distinguished from allowing it to roll out edgewise. To these ends the coin-rest has a seat for the coin, the general direction of Which is parallel with theaxis of oscillation and Which is curved to conform more or less exactly to the periphery of the coin, a high rear Wall which serves to support the coin on edge, and a front Wall which slopes toward the seat for the purpose of guidingv each coin to exactly the same place thereon IOO and which is low in order to allow the coin to tumble over it when the center of gravity of the coin passes the vertical plane of the seat. The coin-rest of each balance is disposed directly beneath one of the slots, and the distance between the bottom of any given coin-rest and that portion of the flange D through which the corresponding slot is made is a trifle less than the diameter of a coin of the denomination appropriate to the slot and rest in question. This bein g so, should a coin being tested be too light it will not depress the rest, and the engagement of the coin with the flange D will prevent the coin from falling out of the rest. On the other hand, if the coin undergoing test is of proper weight it will depress the rest, and as soon as its upper margin escapes from engagement with the flange D' the coin will fall forward onto a sounding board or table G, which preferably consists of a glass slab. It is not, however, essential to use a separate slab as a sounding-board; but, on the contrary, if desired,.the base A may be usedfor the purpose. In this connectionA may be considered as representing either a base forming a part of the apparatus or the top of a desk, table, or counter on which the apparatus is mounted.

In order to cause the coin to fall on one of its flat faces, each of the coin-rests is provided witn an extension which forms a continuation of the front wall of the rest and is curved on its top side, the extensions of the several rests being indicated by the letter F4.

As before stated, it is seldom desired to ascertain the exact weight of a light silver coin, and hence for testing silver coin a machine constructed as above described will answer every purpose; but for gold coin more exactness is required, and it is sometimes desirable to ascertain the exact weight of the coin or the exact amount of its deficiency. To these ends it is necessary to prevent the frictional contact of the coin with the sides of the slot or with any other part of the machine While the coin is being weighed, (otherwise the result indicated by the Weighin g apparatus will be inaccurate to the extent of the friction,) and it is necessary to provide the balance with an adjustable Weight'. In order to prevent frictional contact of the coin with any part that would prevent its being accurately weighed, the coin-rest is preferably made, as shown in Fig. 5, with a rear wall that inclines slightly from the vertical, (the rest being in other respects as already described with ref* erence to the preceding iigures,) so that in the initial condition of the balance the coin will keep its place on the rest without support from any other part, and, in fact, will not leave it until the end of the beam carrying the rest has been depressed sufficiently to throw the center of gravity of the coin past the vertical line drawn through its supporting-point on the rest.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 the slots for receiving the coin are made through a plate D, which is Without offsets.

The top of this box is provided also with an opening, through which extends an arm f, rising from the beam of the balance and having a laterally -projecting branch f, on which a Weight F" is adjustably mounted, the arm f" being provided with appropriate graduations or a scale for indicating the weight or the deficiency in the weight of the coin. In this form of the invention the coin during the test for Weight is without contact with any part of the machine excepting the coin-rest itself, and therefore friction is entirely eliminated. l If the coin is of the proper weight, the balance, as in the case of the test ing-machine shown in Figs. l to 4, inclusive, will respond to the Weight of the coin and the coin will be dumped onto the sounding-board. On the other hand, if the coin be of insufficient Weight the balance will not respond, and thereafter the exact weight or the exact insufficiency in the weight (depending upon the character of the scale on the branch f'" of the arm f) may be ascertained by adjusting the weight Fl until the coin balances. Otherwise the machine shown in Fig. 5 is practically the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a coin-detector, the combination of a beam, a fulcrum therefor, adepressible coinrest carried by the beam on one side of the fulcrum, and a weight carried by the beam on the other side of the fulcrum and adapted to prevent the depression of the rest by a coin of insufficient weight while permitting its depression by a coin of proper weight, said coin-rest having means for supporting the coin on edge in a substantiallyfvertical plane parallel With the axis of oscillation of the beam, means for preventing the coin from rolling off of the side of the beam, and means for discharging the coin sidewise at the end of the beam when the coin-rest is depressed, substantially as set forth.

2. In a coin-detector, the combination of a beam, a fulcrum therefor,- a depressible coinrest carried by the beam on one side of the fulcrum, and means for preventing the de= pression of the rest by a coin of insufficient Weight, said rest having a seat for the coin disposed substantially parallel with the axis of oscillation, a rear wall for supporting the coin on edge, and a low front Wall over which the coin falls sidewise when the rest is depressed, substantially as set forth.

3. ln a coin-detector, the combination of a beam, a fulcrum therefor, a depressible coinrest carried by the beam on one side of the fulcrum, and means for preventing the depression of the rest by a coin of insufficient weight, said rest having a seat curved to conform to the periphery of the coin and dis- IIOl posed substantially parallel with the axis of oscillation, a substantially-vertical rear Wall adapted to support the coin on edge in a substantially -vertieal plane parallel With the axis of oscillation, and a low front Wall slopin g toward the seat,substantially as set forth.

4. In a coin-detector, the combination of a` beam, a fulcrum therefor, a depressible coinrest carried by the beam on one side of the l fulcrum,means for preventing the depression of the rest by a coin of insufficient Weight, said rest having,` means for supporting the coin on edge and in a plane parallel with the axis of oscillation, while the rest is in initial position, and means for discharging the coin sidewise When the rest is depressed, a sounding-board arranged to receive the coin afterit is discharged, and means carried by the rest for flipping the coin, substantially as set forth.

5. In a coin-detector, the combination of a beam, a fulorum therefor, a depressible coinrest carried by the beam on one side of the fulcrum, said rest having a seat for the coin disposed substantially parallel with the axis of oscillation of the beam, a rear Wall for supporting the coin on edge, and a low front Wall sloping toward the seat, a sounding-board adapted to receive the coin as it falls, anda curved projection forming an extension of the front Wall of the rest, substantially as set forth.

THOMAS I. PORTER. Vitne'sses:

L. M. HOPKINS, BERTHA C. SIMS. 

